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L. B. WHITE.

GONDUIT FOR CABLE RAILWAYS. No. 349,868. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

A TTOHNEYS,

UNITED STATES LEIVIS B. WHITE, OF NEYV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO LEON ABBETT, OF

- JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

CONDUIT FOR CABLE RAILVVAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,868, dated September 28, 1886.

Application filed March 23, 1886. Serial No. 196,221. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS B. WHITE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduits for Cable Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in the conduit or trough in which the cable used for propelling ears on cable railways is guided and conducted; and the object of my invention is to improve the construction of said conduit, whereby the same is rendered less expensive, strong, stiff, compact, and durable, and which improved conduit can be laid very easily and rapidly between the rails of any railway-track.

The invention consistsin a conduit or trough circular in cross-section, and placed underground midway between the rails, and braced from the rails by rods connected with the top of the trough and secured to the rails, and bars or straps secured to the feet of the rail and placed transversely under the conduit, all as will be fully described hereinafter, and finally be pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of part of my improved conduit for railway-cars,parts being broken out and others being in section. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the same.

The trough A, which is preferably made of sheet-iron, is circular in cross-section, and is provided in its top with a longitudinal slot, B, at the sides of which the wings O are secured to the upper surface of the conduit or trough, said wings having bottom flanges,

which are riveted or bolted to the trough, the

top flanges projecting toward each other. The longitudinal slot D, directly above the slot 13, is formed between the adjacent edges of the top flanges of said wings O, the said slot D having only a sufficient width to permit the frame of the cable-grip secured to the bottom of the car to pass. Brace-rods E are fastened to the wings O and to the feet of the track-rail F, the trough being embedded in the ground between said rails. The pavement-stones G are placed between the rails and the wings C, the top flanges of said wings being about flush with the top of the stones.

Bars H, or other straps, are bent V-shaped and passed under the conduit, and have their ends bolted securely to the bases of the rails E, the conduit, the said straps H and wings O on the conduit, and the rods E forming a stiff frame, whereby the slot through which the cable-grip frame passes is at all times maintained in the same position in relation to the rails.

On the top of the conduit, at the sides of the slot B, self-closing gates J are pivoted between the two wings C, said gates projecting upward, and being provided at their upper edges with flanges K, which ordinarily are in contact and close the slots D, as they are located directly below the under sides of the top flanges of the wings O. In the frames L, on the upper surface of the bottom of the trough, the grooved rollers M for the cable are mounted to revolve. At the curves, bends, 850., conical rollers N are mounted on shafts projecting upward from brackets or arms 0, secured on the inner surface of the trough at the bottom. At suitable intervals openingsare provided in the side of the trough, which openings are closed by the hinged doors P. Suitable boxes or casings, Q, are provided in the pavement at the side door and are closed by suitable covers. Preferably like boxes, Q, are provided in the pavement at the rollers N As stated, the grip-frame passes through the slots B D and grips the cable within the conduit. The upper ends of the gates J are swung from each other by pressure exerted by the edge of the grip-frame, and swing together again as soon as the frame has passed, and prevent dirt, &c., from passing into the conduit.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with railway-tracks, of a conduit tube or trough embedded between the rails, and of straps secured to the rails and passed under the said conduit tube or trough, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with railway-tracks, of a conduit tube or trough embedded between the tracks, brace-rods connecting the tube with the rails, and V-shaped straps or bars se cured to the rails and passing under the conduit, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination, with rails, of a conduit tube or trough embedded between said rails,

O, secured on the topof the trough, the gates 15 J pivoted above the trough betweensaid wings, rods connecting the wings with the rails, and bars or straps secured to the rails and passing under the conduit or trough, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony-that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

'LEWIS B. WHITE.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNz, v MARTIN PETRY'. 

